Project title: The Magical Working Glove

Project description:

          This project is a left hand glove that is able to detect whether the strength of the grip is in accordance with the requirements and give the corresponding hints.

          The exterior is a thick working glove that can be worn on the hand. A neopixel strip of light is wrapped around the outside of the glove. In the center of the palm is an analog sensor, with the microcontroller in the lower part of the palm, and the battery is equipped on the outside of the glove.

          The value of the output of the analog sensor is controlled according to the amount of force exerted while holding the palm. When the strength is too strong, it shows red colour. Yellow colour when the force is too small. When the strength is just right, it shows orange colour. Colours will fade in and out of each other depending on the amount of power.

          When holding the palm for too long, the colour jumps to white and purple, reminding the user to take a break. When the user relaxes the left hand, the colour of the light bar will return to the initial yellow-green colour.

Project context:

          In this work, light is used as an element that can visualise the strength of the human body’s output and is able to translate its movements into language. 

Inspiration work: Fireproof glove, J. K. Rowling

Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit

          The inspiration for this project was chosen together with Ethan Zhang, Yanjia Yi, and Carol Chen, and after some discussion we chose to use the film “Harry Potter” as our inspiration. Each of us made one piece, with different parts to wear, so that the same person could wear all four projects at the same time. I was inspired by the Fireproof glove that people wear to protect themselves from fire when they are raising dragons in the Worldview design. I decided to make a work glove, so I needed to think about how to incorporate the element of light into a product that needed to be used in a practical way, like a work glove.

Reference work 1:Luzy, Ingo maurer

https://www.ingo-maurer.com/en/products/luzy/

          Designer Ingo maurer applies out-of-the-box design to this lamp. In this piece he used a low voltage lamp as a light source. This inspired me to think about the application of the glove while being aware of its safety, as the glove needs to be worn on the body, it is necessary to pay attention to the voltage of the source of the light used.

Reference work 2: The Bay Lights, Leo Villareal, 2013.3.5

http://villareal.net/the-bay-lights-2013-the-bay-bridge-sf-ca

          This light installation is a light art installation on the western span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. It consists of 25,000 individual white LED lights along 1.8 miles (approximately 2.9 kilometres) of the bridge’s northern suspension line, powered by special cables mounted on vertical steel support cables that connect the bridge deck to the suspension cables. The installation is computer-controlled and displays non-repeating changing patterns inspired by weather patterns, tides and traffic flow on the bridge.
          This installation inspired me with its changing patterns inspired by weather, tides, and traffic flow. As the glove is a wearable device, I wanted to design an interaction where the light changes can change with the movement of the wearer’s body. Since this is a work glove, I wanted the lighting to match its purpose. In this reference work, the lights of the device on the bridge are not visible to the drivers on the bridge to prevent distraction, which prompted me to I needed to consider what the use of the lights would be when the wearer was working. I need to pay attention to where the lights are located, what they do, and whether they will actually help the wearer when they are working.

Reference work 3: Wings of time

https://www.sentosa.com.sg/en/things-to-do/attractions/wings-of-time

          This production is a show that combines light and water screens. It tells a story through a light show and provides a unique experience for the audience. Its use of light to represent storytelling inspired me. In this project, I wanted the glove to transform the process of the wearer’s work into a visual language, a story, so that the wearer and the people looking at the glove could perceive the language of the body through the changing light. So I used analogue snesor and neopixel light strips to translate the strength of the user’s grip on the tools in the studio into visual light changes.

          Through these four works, I determined the design goal of the work, I need to make this work glove can record the wearer’s strength when using tools during working hours, the process of “holding tools” can be translated into language through the light, and the wearer’s time and strength for the work can be expressed through the light intuitively.

Photos:

Video:

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/181iczIzr0Nks-JHA2AYpzqOMKFHQgBPO/view?usp=sharing

Parts list:

2 X conductive fabre

1 X resistive fabric

1 X 10K resistor

6 X wires

1 X Neopixel strip

1 X Adafruit circuit playground

1 X 9V battery

Circuit diagram:

Code:

Wearing_light_glove/ at main · Yunting1123/Wearing_light_glove (github.com)

Wearability Assessment：

· Intuitiveness

· Sensory Interaction

· Usefulness

Any supporting sketches: diagrams, models, renderings
Challenges & Successes: What challenges did you overcome?
Next Steps: Where would you take the project from here? What are the parts and processes you might use given better conditions?

Process:

For the future:

1. Need to think of a way to be able to hide the circuits, microcontrollers, maybe hide them behind fabric when finished?
2. Light strips could be further decorated.
   
3. Batteries need to be able to be more securely rigged to gloves.